LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University men's tennis team fought back from a 4-0 defeat against Division I New Mexico State University Sunday, to down the University of Texas-Permian Basin, 8-1, Monday with both matches taking place in Las Cruces.
 
In the first match of the weekend, WNMU fell to Division I New Mexico State, 4-0. In doubles, Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) and Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/) fell at the top spot in a tight match, 9-7. At the No. 2 position, Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/) and Francisco Damasio (Jundiai, Brazil/Centro Educational Sigma ) won three games before an 8-3 loss. At the final doubles position, Matthieu Covizzi (Noailly, France/) and Jorge Carretero (Asturias, Spain/) lost, 8-1. In singles, three matches finished to conclude the match with them all going to New Mexico State. At No. 2, Covizzi won five games before a 6-3, 6-2 setback. At No. 5, Carretero won six games, but lost, 6-2, 6-4. At No. 6, Nader Murad (Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England/) fell, 6-0, 6-1. Fuentes was doing well in his match, as after dropping the opening set, 6-2, he was leading 5-2 in the second set. Almeida was doing the same in his match at the top flight, as he was coming back from a 6-4 first set loss and was leading 3-2 in the second. Nunez took his opening set at No. 4, 6-3, and was trailing 5-2 in the second.

The next day, WNMU faced the University of Texas-Permian Basin, coming away with a 8-1 victory. In doubles, WNMU took two of three. At the top flight, Almeida and Fuentes dominated to an 8-2 win. Covizzi and Carretero came through with a tough 8-6 win at No. 3. Nunez and Damasio nearly made it a clean sweep, as they took their match as far as it could go at No. 2, dropping a 9-8 decision. In singles, WNMU cruised winning each match in straight sets. Fuentes won his match without dropping a game coming away with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 2. At the top flight, Almeida won a tight opening set, 6-4, and then cruised to a 6-0 second set win. Covizzi shut out his opponent in the first set, 6-0 and then won 6-3 in the second set at No. 3. Nunez had a fight in his match at No. 4, coming away with a 6-3, 6-3 win. Damasio pulled out a similar match at No. 5, as he won, 6-4, 6-3. Rounding out the results for the Mustangs, Roy Ulibarri (Dexter, NM/Dexter High School) had no problems at No. 6 with a 6-2, 6-0 win.
 
WNMU is now 7-11 on the season. WNMU will return to action on Mar. 23 when they will face Division I Idaho State in Las Vegas, Nev. They will also face Southern Utah and Seattle during the week.